OYOM: Our stand on Etifit Nkereuwem’s criminal tendencies and constant resort to illegality
Comrade Etifit Nkereuwem has constituted himself a nuisance in the society. We, the legitimate leaders and members of Oro Youth Movement (OYOM) have maintained civility for six years. Obviously, Etifit Nkereuwem by his actions liable of spending many years in jail.
This is factual because he continuously presents himself as destitute in the midst of reasonable people one who should not freely exist among men of sound minds and rationality. This press statement is intended to offer the true narrative on the spurious infractions and disruptions of OYOM’s legitimate activities by Mr Etifit Nkereuwem.
On October 2, 2014, more than 2/3rd majority of us in OYOM’s national executive council (NEC) wrote the Akwa Ibom State Police Commissioner, on matters of fraud, criminal breach of trust as exuded by the then president, Comrade Etifit Nkereuwem.
We demanded immediate arrest, investigation and prosecution of Etifit Nkereuwem and Mr Ini Essang for lack of transparency and accountability. The petition was strengthen by evidence of their fraudulent ventures, especially in refusing to account for over 30 million naira belonging to the group; abuse of the constitution; dubious and tyrannical lifestyle.
Exactly 21 days later, being October 23, 2014, and worried by signs of compromise on the part of the then SP Ernest Eze, Head, Surveillance Unit (SU) of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who was assigned the case, we wrote the zonal police command. Through our solicitor, Abia Bsssey, Esqr, the assistant inspector general of police in charge of Zone 6, Calabar caused the immediate arrest of both Etifit Nkereuwem and Ini Essang. They were however granted bail on November 3, 2014 after the bail bond was signed by Hon. Henry Okon Henry.
Surprisingly, Nkereuwem and Essang, on November 18, 2014, instituted an enforcement of fundamental rights against OYOM in the High Court of Akwa Ibom State in Oron judicial division with Suit No: HOR/FOR/47/2014. Obviously, the suit was made to divert attention from the weighty allegations of their criminal conduct and attempt to run away with over 30 million naira belonging to the organization.
Against their projection, the state High Court presided over by Hon. Justice Theresa I. Obot dismissed their suit on March 14, 2018. Here, the Court held that there was a reasonable suspicion that crime was either committed or about to be committed by Comrade Etifit Nkereuwem and Comrade Ini Essang and that it is the duty of the police to investigate such reports.
Hence, the Court supported us for making efforts to involve the police for proper investigation of the matter.
Of course, OYOM had moved on to suspend and remove Comrade Etifit Nkereuwem from office as President on September 12, 2014. This led to the election and swearing-in of Comrade Joseph Ekongenam on May 9, 2015 as new President.
Ekongenam himself was again impeached for taking after the unworthy legacies of Mr Etifit Nkereuwem. Mechanisms were then set on motion leading to a lawful conduct of election which produced Comrade Victor Mkpofor as President and other members of the national executive council.
Worried that his ‘untimely removal’ truncated his complete tenure in office as president, Joseph Ekongenam, again took the association to Court. We categorically state that the case instituted by Joseph Ekongenam in the State High Court with Suit No:HOR/27/2015 had long been settled when the presiding judge, Hon. Justice Theresa I. Obot on October 17, 2017 delivered a consent judgement on the matter.
Accordingly, the judgement affirmed the election of Comrade Victor Mkpofor as president. Our brother, Comrade Joseph Ekongenam was accordingly appointed as OYOM’s adviser. At this point, OYOM’s leadership was saved from every form of ambiguity and entanglement.
While this was going on, Mr Etifit Nkereuwem was busy carrying on with his illegal activities and parading himself as the OYOM’s President. This propel the leadership of OYOM to file a suit against him at the Oron High Court in January 2018. To seal the victory for civilization and democratic order, the case against Etifit Nkereuwem with Suit No: HOR/8/2018 came to a glorious ending.
To the glory of God, the same Hon Justice Theresa I. Obot on February 10, 2020 pronounced judgement on the matter. The judgement restrained Comrade Etifit Nkereuwem from further parading himself as OYOM’s president. The Court agreed with us that he must render accounts of all monies collected while acting as president of OYOM and pay same into the account of the organization.
He was also asked to pay us cost of litigation. The judgement has not only been fair and accurate, it is seen to be just, sound and in line with our prayers before the Court.
It must be stated that Mr Etifit Nkereuwem has obviously chosen to flout Court Orders and dam all consequences. It is not surprising that he is still holding himself out as the president of OYOM.
Little wonder how he purportedly set up an electoral committee with one Mr Philip Nkonginue as an Electoral Committee Chairman. We have it in good authority that the said Philip Nkonginue has begun sales of membership and election forms.
Apparently, it is clear that OYOM has undoubtedly been his only means of survival. It is clear that without fraudulently and criminally operating in leadership position of OYOM, Etifit Nkereuwem cannot achieve anything meaningful in his life.
In fact, it must be stated that the daily meals of Mr Etifit Nkereuwem depends on how much he can fraudulently raise with the name of OYOM. That explains why a man in his fifties would be unsparing at flagrantly flouting Court orders and declarations. Meanwhile, Etifit Nkereuwem is yet to render OYOM’s accounts to us as mandated by the Court.
He is yet to pay us cost of litigation as enshrined in the Court judgement. The only thing he has done is flout the judgement Order which restrains him from parading himself president of OYOM.
For us, the executives and members of OYOM, we will not fold our hands and watch this unfortunate act of impersonation whose obvious intention is to destroy the Organization, and we will never allow that to happen.
Hence, while we declare that whoever purchases any membership and/ or election forms from Mr Philip Nkonginue or any other person does so at their own risk.
Ultimately, the purported sales of OYOM’s membership and election forms is illegal. We call on all Oro sons or daughters to desist from doing any business with Etifit Nkereuwem and Philip Nkonginue in the name of OYOM as the association has not constituted any electoral body howsoever.
The duo are currently not recognized by law to do any business in the name of OYOM. Anyone doing business with Etifit Nkereuwem and his cohorts in the name of OYOM do so at their own risk. We use this medium to draw the attention of all security agencies in the state to the nefarious activities of Mr Etifit Nkereuwem which principal intent is the fraudulent extortion of innocent members of the Nigerian public.
It is very clear that as peace loving and law abiding citizens of our nation, we have gone through all these long litigation processes to ensure peaceful resolution of all matters emanating from their consistent illegality.
We are careful not to take laws into our hands. We categorically state that we will no more tolerate the antics of distortion and disruption of our lawful organizational programmes by Mr Etifit Nkereuwem or any other person or persons within the ambit of the law.
Being a press statement jointly signed by Comrade Victor Mkpofor, President, Oro Youth Movement (OYOM) andComrade Eyo Eyo, Secretary, Oro Youth Movement (OYOM).
